GoogleTrends: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

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From pixels to pixies: the future of touch is sound

By Jeremy Wagstaff SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Ultrasound - inaudible sound waves normally associated with cancer treatments and monitoring the unborn - may change the way we interact with our mobile devices. UK start-up Ultrahaptics, for example, is working with premium car maker Jaguar Land Rover [TAMOJL.UL] to create invisible air-based controls that drivers can feel and tweak. Instead of fumbling for the dashboard radio volume or temperature slider, and taking your eyes off the road, ultrasound waves would form the controls around your hand.

'The Martian' Dust Storm Would Actually Be a Breeze

Without giving away too many spoilers about "The Martian", there's an opening scene in the book (and upcoming movie) in which a dust storm causes major damage and literally blows away an astronaut. Despite the amazing space travel details in "The Martian," a film based on the book by Andy Weir, that Mars dust storm scene, which ultimately sets up the entire film, is itself blown away by Red Planet realities. It turns out the atmosphere on Mars is so thin that even a strong wind wouldn't make that much of a difference, according to a NASA planetary scientist who studies planetary dust storms regularly (though he hasn't read the book).

U.S. biotech to apply artificial intelligence to UK genome study

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - Berg, a private company that uses artificial intelligence to discover new drugs and diagnostics, will help England's national genomics project mine DNA and health data from thousands of British citizens for potential drug targets. Berg, based in Boston, was co-founded in 2006 by Silicon Valley real estate billionaire Carl Berg. Its newest agreement is with the Genomics England 100,000 Genomes Project, which aims to accelerate development of new diagnostics and treatments through a year-long industry trial, company executives told Reuters.

Meat May Not Be So Bad for You After All (But There's a Catch)

Although a vegetarian diet has many health benefits, eating meat may not be so terrible for you either, as long as you include plenty of vegetables, too, according to a new study. In the study, the researchers looked at how different diets affected the types of bacteria in people's guts, and the levels of certain compounds that those gut bacteria produce. But diets that also included meat — such as the Mediterranean diet — didn't necessarily spell disaster for gut health.

Calcium Not as Great for Bones as Once Thought

The reports, both published today (Sept. 29) in the journal BMJ, looked at the effects of calcium intake on bone density and risk of fracture in adults over age 50. In the first report, researchers analyzed the results of 59 previous randomized controlled trials of calcium involving more than 12,000 people. The investigators found that increasing calcium intake — either through diet or by taking supplements — increased people's bone-mineral density by up to 2 percent.

Breast Cancer Risk Linked to Virus Found in Cattle

In the study, researchers tested the breast tissue of about 240 women for BLV, and found that 59 percent of the samples from women who had breast cancer showed signs of BLV. Only 29 percent of the samples from women without breast cancer showed signs of the virus. The researchers' analysis of the data revealed that the odds of having breast cancer, when taking other risk factors into account, were three times higher if BLV was present — an increase that's higher than those of several other well known risk factors for breast cancer, including drinking alcohol, being obese and using hormone treatments after menopause, the study said.

Something Strange Is Happening Inside Saturn

Unusual ripples in Saturn's rings are revealing the mysterious inner workings of the great gas giant. Billions of particles race around Saturn's 170,000-mile-wide (273,600 kilometers) set of rings, which are mostly water ice with a smattering of rock. Most scientists' models of Saturn and other gas giants assume the planet is pretty uniform — just a large gas envelope surrounding a small, dense core that's perhaps the size of Earth.

Hubble Snaps Breathtaking Views of Colorful Veil Nebula (Photos, Video)

The new set of Hubble photos of the Veil Nebula, which researchers combined into several stunning videos, show a colorful cloud of material 110 light-years wide that lies about 2,100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan). The Veil Nebula's beauty belies its violent origins: The structure formed about 8,000 years ago, after a star 20 times more massive than the sun died in a supernova explosion, researchers said. "Astronomers suspect that before the Veil Nebula's source star exploded, it expelled a strong stellar wind.

Fit for a God? Ancient Booty Discovered in Transylvania

Two large stashes of bronze weapons and jewelry, from the eighth century B.C., have been discovered in southern Transylvania, in Romania. The hoards date back to a time before minted currency had been invented or writing had spread to this part of Europe. "The majority of the objects are made of bronze, yet there are also weapons and tools made of iron," wrote Corina Bors, a senior archaeologist with the National History Museum of Romania, in the summary of a presentation she gave recently at the European Association of Archaeologists annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rare Fluorescent Sea Turtle Glows Red and Green

Below the tropical waves near the Solomon Islands, nighttime divers spotted a psychedelic vision: an endangered sea turtle glowing bright red and green. The divers immediately began filming the creature, a hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate), following it for a few minutes until it swam away. "It was such a short encounter," said David Gruber, an associate professor of biology at Baruch College in New York City and a National Geographic emerging explorer.

Strange Designs: 5 Weird Ways Tattoos Affect Your Health

Tattoos are very common, but they do bring certain health risks, said Dr. Marie Leger, a dermatologist at the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City who has studied adverse reactions to tattoos. "I love tattoos," Leger told Live Science. In fact, infections can come from a bunch of different sources, including the tattoo artist, as well as the ink, Leger said.

Japanese Paper Art Inspires Sun-Tracking Solar Cell

Japanese paper art is typically used to create dainty folded cranes and paper snowflakes, but now, researchers are using it to inspire innovations in the energy world. Scientists from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (UM) have used the ancient art of paper cutting, known as kirigami, to create a unique thin-film solar cell that can use a method of following the sun called optical tracking. The idea was initially hatched by Matt Shlian, one of the authors of the new study and a professor in the University of Michigan's School of Art and Design.

It's Part Tank, Part Salamander, and Ready for Combat

A new amphibious vehicle that moves just as well on land as it does in the water looks kind of like a salamander. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin designed and built the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) to replace the U.S. Marine Corps' aging fleet of swimming tanks, which have been in use for more than four decades.

Matt Damon in Space: Actor Hits Sci-Fi Trifecta with 'The Martian'

Matt Damon has become a Hollywood A-lister by taking on roles in big-budget action films and dramas, but could he become known for his science fiction work instead? This Friday is opening night of "The Martian," which is the third major science fiction movie starring Damon in the last two years. In 2014, Damon played a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's space epic "Interstellar." In 2013, he starred in "Elysium," a story in which extreme class divides have sent wealthy people to live on a Shangri-La-esque space station orbiting Earth.

Scientists find genes that protect African children from malaria

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified specific genetic variations that protect some African children from developing severe malaria and say their discovery will boost the fight against a disease that kills around half a million children a year. In the largest study of its kind, the researchers said identifying the variations in DNA at a specific location, or locus, on the genome helps explain why some children develop severe malaria and others don't in communities where people are constantly exposed to the mosquito-borne disease. In some cases, they said, having a specific genetic variation almost halves a child's risk of developing a life-threatening case of the disease.

How to Spot the Asteroid Vesta in October's Night Sky

The next two weeks provide an excellent opportunity to spot the brightest asteroid visible from EarthVesta — one of the best-known objects in the solar system. In the first six years of the 19th century, astronomers discovered four new members of the solar system. Now, there are tens of thousands of known asteroids.

Apollo Panoramas: Moon Landings Go Wide in Crowdfunded Photo Book

A new photo book about the Apollo moon landings provides a "wide look" at the lunar surface vistas that astronauts saw and captured on film more than 40 years ago. "'Apollo: The Panoramas,' as the title implies, is dedicated to high resolution assembly of the panoramic sequences that the astronauts captured on the lunar surface," Mike Constantine, the book's author, told collectSPACE.com. Constantine, as the proprietor of the UK-based Moonpans, has been assembling the panoramas as digital files, large prints, wall murals and other formats for the past 15 years.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

FeedaMail: Science News Headlines - Yahoo! News

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More research needed on U.S. earthquakes possibly tied to oil and gas work: report

A coalition of U.S. states warned on Monday that a spike in earthquakes potentially tied to oil and gas activity in places not typically prone to them needs urgent attention from regulators and others to protect public safety. The report to be released later on Monday by States First includes input from governors, regulators and oil and gas policy leaders in 13 states, including Oklahoma and Kansas, where earthquake activity and intensity have risen in recent years. "We see something very new and different happening here in the mid-continent," said Rex Buchanan, interim director of the Kansas Geological Survey and co-chair of the group that issued the report.

Fossilized fur reveals color of 49-million-year-old bats

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fossils can do a good job of revealing key aspects of an extinct creature: its bones, teeth, claws, even soft tissue like fur, skin, feathers, organs and sometimes remains of its last meal in the gut. "As technology continues to advance, we'll keep finding information in fossils that we don't even know is there today." The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

UK scientists start stem cell trial of potential blindness cure

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - The first patient has been treated in Britain in a pioneering trial of a new treatment co-developed by Pfizer and derived from embryonic stem cells designed for patients with a condition that can cause blindness. Specialists at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital said the operation, described as "successful", was the first of 10 planned for participants in a trial of the treatment for a disease called 'wet' age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The trial will test the safety and efficacy of transplanting eye cells known as retinal pigment epithelium, which have been derived from embryonic stem cells.

UK scientists start stem cell trial of potential blindness cure

7 More People Sick with Legionnaires' Disease in NYC

More people in New York City are sick with Legionnaires' disease in what appears to be a new cluster of cases, health officials say. So far, seven people who live or work in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx have been hospitalized recently with Legionnaires' disease, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The new cases are not related to the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that occurred in New York City over the summer, which was the largest in the city's history, and sickened 120 people in the South Bronx.

Mars Gets More Habitable with Water Discovery, Scientists Say

The discovery of liquid (albeit very salty) water on Mars may suggest that the Red Planet is more habitable than previously thought, according to scientists. Strange, dark streaks that run down the sides of hills on the surface of Mars are formed partly by the presence of liquid water, scientists announced today (Sept. 28). Using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the researchers say they now have strong evidence that salty water soaks the planet's surface soil, perhaps even flows down the slopes, and creates the dark streaks.

Oddly Gigantic Supermassive Black Hole Puzzles Scientists

The supermassive black hole at the heart of a recently discovered galaxy is much larger than it should be, and astronomers don't know why. The galaxy, known as SAGE0536AGN, lies about 2 billion light-years from Earth and contains roughly 25 billion times the mass of the sun. Galaxies of this size typically harbor central black holes with the equivalent of 12 million solar masses or so, but SAGE0536AGN's is about 30 times that heavy, weighing in at 350 million solar masses, a new study reports.

Zero Gravity Corporation Celebrates 10 Years of Weightless Flights

The Virginia-based Zero Gravity Corp. (Zero G) has now been flying customers on a specially modified Boeing 727 jet for a decade. It's been amazing!" Terese Brewster, ZERO-G president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

Tiniest Snail Ever Found Could Fit Through Needle's Eye 10 Times

The newly discovered snail species, found in China, may be the world's smallest land snail. This is a large group, according to Barna Páll-Gergely of Shinshu University in Japan and colleagues, who wrote in 2014 in the journal ZooKeys that snails this small account for most of the diversity in tropical land snails. The newest, tiniest snail is one of seven species recently discovered in China, the researchers reported today (Sept. 28) in ZooKeys.

Snack Time for Predators! 6 Weird Ways Wildfires Affect the Forest

From early visits from coyotes looking for an easy, and rodent-y, post-burn snack, to a shrubby buffet that flourishes for elk and bison, here are six ways forest fires affect trees and animals, and the science behind them. This year's fires are vast, affecting such states as California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. California is bearing the brunt of the destruction, with six fires covering 399,022 acres (1,614 square kilometers) — roughly the size of 18 Manhattans, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Antikythera Wreck Yields More Treasures of Ancient Greece's '1 Percent'

A bronze chair arm — possibly the remains of an ancient throne — and a piece of a Greek board game are among the latest treasures raised from the site of the famous shipwreck Antikythera. This year, archaeologists discovered an intact amphora (a vaselike container), a small table jug (known as a lagynos) and a rectangular chiseled stone, probably a statuette base. A section of bronze furniture may be the arm of a throne, according to the Woods Hold Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

'The Martian' Celebrates Discovery of Water on Mars

Following NASA's announcement that there is liquid water on the surface of Mars, Mark Watney, the fictional lead character in the upcoming movie "The Martian," has a very special message for the world. NASA's announcement of liquid water on Mars' surface came yesterday (Sept. 28), just a few days before the movie's premier this Friday (Oct. 2). The movie, which is based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, stars Matt Damon as Watney.

Intense Solar Flare Unleashed from Unruly Sunspot

An intense solar flare took out low-frequency radio communications over South America and the Atlantic Ocean earlier today (Sept. 28), and the unstable sunspot is likely to erupt again. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captured an amazing video of the solar flare from space. The explosion unleashed extreme ultraviolet radiation that rushed over the Earth, officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said in a statement.

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